5-11 March

In this, the third year of Al Hakam, we will present a selection of incidents from the blessed life of the Promised Messiah^as with some more details

5 March 1901: The Promised Messiah^as published an ishtihar (announcement) based on a sincere proposal for reconciliation with opponent maulvis. In the ishtihar, the Promised Messiah^as asked of his opponents to refrain from using foul and vile language. (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 3, p. 179) 

5 March 1902: The Promised Messiah^as published 2,000 copies of a four-page announcement for the management of the langar khana (public kitchen) and Madrasa Ahmadiyya. This could well be considered the basis for the establishment of the permanent system of chanda (monetary funds for the cause of Islam) and the foundation of monthly chanda. (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 3, p. 254) 

6 March 1897: Pandit Lekh Ram was killed in accordance with a prophecy of the Promised Messiah^as. This incident occurred in the city of Lahore at 7 o’clock in the evening. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 1, p. 590)

Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih II^ra, further explaining the prophecies alluding to this incident, states: 

“The prophecies relating to Lekh Ram foretold: (i) that Lekh Ram would meet with a calamity that would prove fatal for him; (ii) that this calamity would take place within six years; (iii) that it would be on a day close to Eid, just before or after; (iv) that Lekh Ram would meet with the fate of the Calf of Samri, that is, dismemberment and death and dispersion of his ashes into a river; (v) that this fatal process would be carried out by a person with ruddy complexion with blood-shot eyes; (vi) that Lekh Ram would be a victim of the sword of Muhammad^sa. 

“Five years after the publication of these prophecies, however, people started ridiculing the Promised Messiah^as. The time limit of the prophecies, they said, was over and nothing had happened! Could Mirza Sahib still be genuine? But the next Eid-ul-Fitr, which marked the end of Ramadan, occurred on a Friday. 

“On the day following Eid, that is Saturday, in the afternoon, an unknown person stabbed Lekh Ram in the stomach with a sharp knife. Stabbed on Saturday, Lekh Ram died on Sunday. The Word of God came true in all its grim details. The prophecy had laid down a six-year limit. Lekh Ram died within six years. 

“The prophecy said the fatal event would occur on a day close to the Eid and that this day would prove the Eid of the believers. It happened exactly like this. Lekh Ram was stabbed on the day following the Eid. The prophecy said that Lekh Ram would meet his end at the hands of a fearful red-looking person. That is exactly what happened. Lekh Ram was to be a victim of the sword of Muhammad^sa, so he died of a stab wound. The prophecy said that Lekh Ram would meet a fate similar to the fate of the Calf of Samri. This calf was dismembered on a Saturday, burnt to ashes, the ashes dispersed in a river. This is what happened to Lekh Ram. Being a Hindu, he was cremated and his ashes thrown into a river.” (Invitation to Ahmadiyyat, pp. 357-358)

6 March 1897: On 6 March 1897, the Promised Messiah^as published an ishtihar entitled Khuda ki La‘nat aur Kasr-e-Saleeb (God’s curse and the breaking of the cross).

Hazrat Ahmad^as stated that it was a unanimous belief of Christians that Jesus was crucified and became accursed for three days and, in their view, the belief of salvation lies completely on this curse. 

Huzoor^as further presented the meanings of la‘nat (curse) from the lexicon in detail and said that the reality of an accursed person is that all his relations with Allah the Almighty are severed. Such an individual becomes filthy and his heart becomes spiritually dead to the extent that he goes away from Allah and no distinction remains between him and the Satan. 

Hazrat Ahmad^as then posed a question to priests and enquired as to whether holding this belief was valid and if Jesus was accursed and far from God. (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 2, p. 217) 

6 March 1908: The Promised Messiah^as sent a letter to Hazrat Munshi Abdullah Sanauri^ra. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 3, p. 341)

Many letters between the years of 1884 and 1908 are preserved in history, which were sent by the Promised Messiah^as to his faithful companion who had immense love for their Imam.

7 March 1898: The Promised Messiah^as published an open letter and mentioned the incident of Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi being denied the honour of a chair in court as Maulvi Sahib strongly rejected the occurrence of this incident. (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 2, p. 418)

8 March 1903: The Promised Messiah’s^as Urdu book, Sanatan Dharam (The Sanatan Faith) was released from Zia-ul-Islam Press, Qadian. The Promised Messiah^as had just finished writing his book, Nasim-e-Dawat, when the need arose for writing another book, so he penned this work. In it, Hazrat Ahmad^as fully exposed the vulgar act of niyoga (ancient Hindu tradition in which a woman requests and appoints a man to help her conceive a child) and how the Arya Samaj practiced it. 

Hazrat Ahmad^as then praised the followers of Sanatan Dharam for their courage in rejecting such a vulgar practice. With the exception of a few drawbacks, Huzoor^as said the followers of Sanatan Dharam were a thousand times better than the Arya Samaj. The Promised Messiah^as especially complimented them for not raising absurd and meaningless objections against Islam. Some of them were humble people and they were not as cunning as the Arya Samaj.

These books created a great stir among Arya Samajists and an interest among the followers of Sanatan Dharam. After a few months, both books were translated into English and copies of the English version were distributed free of cost.

9 March 1897: A two-page announcement was published from Zia-ul-Islam Press in which the Promised Messiah^as stated that the 25^th year of receiving divine revelations had dawned upon him. This phrase indicates that revelations started descending upon him from around 1872. (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 2, p. 220) 

10 March 1907: The paternal grandson of the Promised Messiah^as, Hazrat Mirza Aziz Ahmad^ra, son of Hazrat Mirza Sultan Ahmad, while studying at Aligarh University, took part in a strike against teachers. The Promised Messiah^as was extremely displeased when he heard of it, but eventually forgave his mistake. (Malfuzat, Vol. 5, p. 172)

11 March 1886: The Promised Messiah^as was residing in Hoshiarpur when he had a religious debate with Master Murli Dhar, which lasted until 14 March. This debate was later published in the form of a book, Surma Chashm-e-Arya.

Master Murli Dhar was a prominent member of the Arya Samaj in Hoshiarpur. In March 1886, he came to the Promised Messiah^as to ask a few questions and raise objections he had about Islam. Huzoor^as suggested to arrange a sitting in which Master Sahib should present his objections over Islam and Huzoor^as would respond to those objections. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 1, p. 296)